Call Me
by TR.Eldridge
Summary: It's the classic tale of boy meets girl, yet it doesn't end well. Elena and Damon are separated, and neither can stand it, but are too stubborn to admit it. Oh, and Damon has a doppleganger, little Grayson.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Apologies for those of you who have been following my other story, You Cannot Escape My Embrace, I will be labeling it a complete story. I have lost all of my material and inspiration to write it. I'm sorry, again.**

**Less depressing note: Most of the fanfics that I've read are about the relationship leading up to the big thing between Damon and Elena, or a wedding. I, naturally, wanted to know what would happen after the wedding. Obviously, being Damon's wife wouldn't be a bed of roses, in my opinion. Don't get me wrong, I love Damon, but he isn't the nicest guy around.

* * *

**

_Call me a sinner, call me a saint_

**_Tell me it's over, I'll still love you the same_**

_Call me your favorite, call me the worst_

**_Tell me it's over, I don't want you to hurt_**

_It's all that I can say_

_So, I'll be on my way_

Elena Gilbert sat up in her bed; she hadn't gotten much sleep last night. But, with everything going wrong in her life, she wasn't that surprised. She had just seperated with Damon, living without him was proving to be quite difficult. Their 5 year old son, Grayson, constantly asked when his father was going to come home. She had to be strong for her little boy, he was all she had left. Jenna wouldn't stop asking her if she was okay, Alaric was trying his hardest to be some sort of a father figure for Grayson, but he wasn't Damon. Nobody was Damon, yet everyone was. Every street, resturant, shopping center was filled with his face, his smirk, his heart melting laughter. Stop it, Elena, she chided herself. She had to think of her son now, he needed her.

As if on que, Grayson came barreling through her bedroom door. She straightened up and hid all evidence of pain from her son. He flung himself onto her bed and threw his arms around her. She squeezed him and kissed the top of his head. She brushed his raven hair from his crystal blue eyes and smiled. "What are you doing up so early, mister?"

"Could I have pancakes this morning?" He folded his hands together and mouthed a thousand _pleases_. She knew that she wouldn't win in a fight with the double of her husband. Grayson had inhereted too much from his father. The most annoying was Grayson's ability to get whatever he wanted. She rolled her eyes and nodded her head. He bombarded her with hugs and kisses before sprinting from her room to the kitchen.

She pulled herself from bed and stepped in front of her mirror. Dear God, Elena, you look awful, she thought. She grabbed an elastic band and pulled her long, chocolate brown hair into a loose ponytail. She wrapped a robe around her small frame and headed for the kitchen.

The boarding house still looked the same as it did before she'd met Damon, but it didn't feel right without him. The vibe was so lonely and gloomy. They'd been seperated for no more than five months, the reason why being unknown to her now. After the seperation, she had insisted that herself and Grayson would stay in the boarding house and that Damon would find other accomedations. She knew that he'd stayed with Stefan for a while, but that ending quickly, unsurprisingly. After that, she didn't really know where he'd gone to. To be honest, at the time, she hadn't cared where he'd gone, as long as if was far away from them. But, no matter how much animosity she felt towards Damon then, she still loved him more than anything. When she'd asked him to leave, he hadn't put up much of a fight. He was like that sometimes, he didn't argue with her when she threw his clothes down the stairs; hadn't asked why when she said he wasn't allowed to see Grayson anymore; he didn't even say that he hated her, quite the opposite actually. As he was about to leave he tried to kiss her cheek, but she had recoiled, causing his heart to desipate into ash. He'd given Grayson a kiss and hug, telling him that he'd come by soon to teach him how to play catch. She'd cried for hours after he'd left, but she was too stubborn to call him and tell him to come home. So, here she was, five months later making pancakes for a five year old and trying not to break down every few minutes.

Grayson had been adiment about his pancake have two eyes and a mouth. He wanted to fill them with syrup. So, she made his face-pancake and set in on a plate in front of him, filling the eyes and mouth with syrup. As soon as she moved her hand away, the child dove into the pancake, getting food on seemingly everything but his mouth. She watched quietly noting all the small things that were so much like Damon. Stop it, she screamed in thought.

He finished soon enough and they went upstairs to clean him up. She changed his clothes and fixed his hair. As she was pulling his shirt down over his head, the doorbell rang. It took everything she had to hold Grayson back from running to the door. She looked at the clock and noticed that Jenna was early today(Jenna came by on Fridays to take Grayson to the park with her child/boyfriend Alaric.) She glided down the stairs and pulled the door open. Jenna smiled and hugged Elena.

"Okay, now where's my boy?" She said loud enough for Grayson to hear her. Grayson ran to the door, throwing his arms around Jenna's legs. Elena bent down and told Grayson to go get his backpack from the toy room. He was gone instantly.

"So, Elena, how are you doing?" Jenna asked, although she knew Elena would say that she was fine or just avoid the question. Elena looked down at her feet and rubbed the back of her neck.

"Grayson," she called out. Avoiding today, Jenna thought. "He's had sugar this morning, so he's a wee bit hyper. Please don't let him out of your sight."

"Elena, Grayson is in good hands." Elena raised her brow at Jenna and they both laughed. "Okay, I'll make sure Alaric in extra careful."

Grayson appeared and kissed Elena's cheek, "I love you, mommy." He hugged her and then ran to Alaric, who was waiting beside the car. Elena hugged Jenna and shut the door as they drove away.

All alone, she thought. What was there really to do? It was Friday and she was alone, again. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen Bonnie or Caroline or even Jeremy. Bonnie and Jeremy had moved states and Caroline had decided to test her skills in Hollywood. Elena laughed thinking of how bad of a liar Caroline had been. Once, Caroline had tried to sneak alcohol into a party, but she'd been caught by her mom's deputy. She'd tried to lie and say that it wasn't hers, she was just picking it up off the street to throw it away. He'd seen through her immediatly and called her mom, who wasn't very happy when she picked her up.

Elena walked into her laundry room and started a load of wash. She pulled the clothes from her dryer and began folding them. She wasn't half way through them when the phone rang. Thinking the worst had happened to Grayson, she ran to the phone.

"Hello? Jenna, what happened?" She questioned the person on the other line. She heard a small chuckle and then they cleared their throat.

"Elena," he said and she knew instantly who it was.

"Damon, what do you want?" She asked, not really wanting an answer.

"How about, it's nice to hear your voice, Damon. It's been too long, I miss you." He was mocking her now and she wasn't in the mood.

"Enough, Damon," she commanded. "What do you want?" She paced her kitchen, becoming agitated.

"I want to see Grayson, Elena. It's been five months, I need to see my son." He sounded devastated and sad. Elena wanted to hold him and take away his sadness, but she wasn't going to, she couldn't.

"Yes, it's been five months. Without word, or anything telling me that you were still alive. Grayson asked me everyday when you were coming home. Do you know how much that hurt?" She couldn't help but yell at him, words just kept pouring out.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry," he said. She noticed that he sounded like he had been crying, she could practically feel his heartache. She hated to do what she was about to do, but Damon wasn't forgiven for not calling her or Grayson until now.

"I'm sorry, too, but you can't see Grayson." It hurt her to tell the father of her child that he couldn't see him, but it had to be done. She sunk down onto her sofa and used her free arm to hug her body.

"Elena, please. I said I was sorry." He was hurting, she could tell.

"I know and it's still a 'no'." Her apology sounded to fake, even to herself.

"Please, kitten," he cooed making her heart ache for him.

"I told you not to call me that. Please, just leave us alone, Damon." Then the doorbell rang, but she wasn't finished talking to Damon.

"Hold on," she called towards the door. "Listen, I know that you're sorry and I forgive you for leaving, but..." She flung the phone to the couch and headed to the door to stop it's insesant ringing.

She flung the door open and then tried to slam it shut, but failed. Damon caught the door as it was about to close and easily pushed it back open. He hadn't changed a bit. He was still beautiful and irritating. She folded her arms across her chest, "What are you doing here?" She didn't have time to deal with him right now, but she couldn't help but feel glad to be near him again.

"Well, my dear," he said while closing the door. "This is my home, too." He walked around her and scanned the kitchen and living room.

"Where's my boy at?" He said as he walked back to her. She walked around him and began cleaning this morning's breakfast from the table.

"He isn't here. He's with Jenna and Ric for the day." Damon scoffed and walked up behind her. She could feel his breath on her ear and all she wanted to do was turn around and kiss him. She'd missed him so much, but she wouldn't do that to herself, he'd just leave again.

"Elena, you know I always get what I want," he cooed into her ear. His voice was like velvet and it made her knees weak. He began rubbing her shoulders. She spun around, catching him off guard. "Why don't you just go? You're so good at it." She was fuming now, how dare he?

"If I recall, you made me leave," he countered. She knew he was right and she hated him for it.

"Why didn't you fight back? Didn't you want us anymore?" She looked pitiful and heartbroken. Damon wanted so badly to take her in his arms and make her forget that last five months, but he knew she didn't want him anymore.

"Of course I wanted you, _want_ you, Elena. I want you so much. Grayson, too. I didn't fight because you said that you'd be happy without me. All I want is to make you happy." His confession made her sick, she'd done all of this to herself. Her stubbornness has caused her son to have a broken family. She couldn't help herself; she threw her arms around Damon's neck and held on for dear life. Damon didn't waste anytime, he pulled her as close to him as he could manage. She cried into his chest, staining his shirt, but he didn't care. As she cried, he found that he had began crying, too. They stood interlocked for what seemed like hours before pulling away from each other.

She wiped her eyes and straightened her robe. He turned away from her and wiped his eyes, he didn't want her see his weakness. He turned back around and motioned for them to sit down on the couch. She followed him and sunk back down into the couch. Damon sat beside her, but not too close. He didn't know how much time he had with her, anymore. She didn't talk, just sat and stared at her fingers. Damon noticed that she looked like she hadn't slept in weeks, the dark circles under her eyes were proof of that. He placed his hand on top of her and gently squeezed her fingers. She looked up at him through tear brimmed eyes. He could tell that this wasn't the first time she'd cried over their seperation. Slowly, tentatively, he lowered his mouth to hers, tasting the tears that fell instantly. Then it happened, she finally broke down. She crumpled into his chest and sobbed. He pulled her into his lap and cradled her to his body.

* * *

**Not going to lie, I'm a bit nervous about you're thoughts on this one. It took me hours to craft and even longer to write. So, if you'll do me the honor, review please. Review and I'll tell Elijah that you're on _my_ list of people I love. **

**Song: Call Me by Shinedown**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. Not TVD or Damon or Elena, just the idea for this fic. Let's be honest, if I owned Damon, he'd always be shirtless, or naked, either one works for me.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Thank you for your amazing reviews! I love you all :) Enough of my blabbering, here is Chapter 2.**

_

* * *

_

_Three words that became hard to say_

**_I and love and you_**

_5 Months Ago_

_"I don't care, Damon. It's done!" Elena was at her wits end with Damon. He irritated her to no end and his callous nature was ruining their marriage. She just needed a break from him; from them. She hoped to God that Grayson wasn't woken up by their fight. He shouldn't hear this."Elena, just listen.." She raised her open palm and shook her head. "I don't want to listen, okay? I'm done," she yelled. "Please leave." When she said 'leave' Damon's face fell. He couldn't believe this was happening to him. He'd spent so many years trying to be better than his incompetent brother, that he'd finally became him. Elena had dumped his brother after finding him with Caroline, and now she was kicking him out. He hadn't cheated, he'd never hurt her like that; he loved her too much._

_She turned and calmly walked up the stairs into their bedroom. He waited at the base for what seemed like an infinity. Elena ran out of the room with an armful of his clothes."LEAVE! GO NOW!" She yelled as she threw the clothes at him, coming close to hitting him. Tears were brimming is his eyes, but he wasn't going to cry. Elena was having a breakdown, so he needed to be strong for the both of them._

_"I thought we were happy," he said quietly. He bent down to pick up the clothing that scattered the floor. He heard Elena laugh, a nasty, hateful laugh. He raised his eyes to watch her walk down the stairs to face him. Her eyes were shining with unshed tears._

_"I will be once you go." It hurt to hear that, but all he wanted to do was to make her happy. If this was the way then, dammit he'd do what she wanted._

_A sleepy, small voice brought them out of their argument. Grayson came into the living room in his pajamas, still mostly asleep."Why are you yelling at Daddy?" The first tear fell from Elena's eye when she heard her son speak. She watched as Damon bent down and hugged his son._

_"I'll be back soon, I promise." He kissed Grayson's forehead and raised to look into Elena's eyes. He leaned in to kiss her but she leaned away from him, which cut him deep. He nodded, muttering an 'okay'."I love you, Elena. See you soon, buddy." Then he was gone. Elena hadn't the faintest clue why'd she'd kicked him out, all she knew was that she was done. Done with everything; with Damon, their marriage, just hurried Grayson back to bed, tucking him in quickly. __She neared the door and turned to switch off his light._

_"Where'd Daddy go?" Grayson asked. Tears fell from her eyes quicker than she could wipe them away._

_"He's just going away for a little while, honey." She had to lie, for her son's sake. She switched off the light and walked up the stairs, into her room. She found herself staring at their.. no scratch that, her bed. It became all too real all too quickly. She fell against the wall and sank to her hugged her body and cried. She didn't remember for how long, but she cried until she couldn't. It was done; they were over and she hated it._

* * *

She cried into his chest for hours, thanking God that Damon had come back to her. Suddenly, she jerked out of his arms and stared into his eyes. He was a little wary of what would happen next. Would she slap him? Kick him out again? Lord knows she could, and would if she wanted to. Then something amazing happened, she kissed him. First his forehead, then his eyes, cheeks, and finally, his mouth. He welcomed her desperate kiss. She ran her tongue along his bottom lip and he didn't hesitate letting her deepen the kiss. She straddled him and kissed him, making up for their five months apart.

He soon felt her hands gliding down his chest and landing on the bottoms of his shirt. She began to undo them, not wasting any time. When she finished undoing the buttons, he moved slightly forward so he could slide it off, never breaking their kiss. He pulled her to him and she raked her nails down his firm, soft chest. He grabbed her and flipped them so he was on top. She giggled in surprise and he thought she'd never been more beautiful than this moment. He slid his strong hands down her side and lifted the hem of her shirt, pulling it over her head, exposing her chest. He threw the shirt to the floor and kissed her again.

She pushed against his chest, causing them to seperate. He looked at her, worried that he'd done something wrong. She laughed, which reassured him.

"We can't really do this on the couch, Damon. What if Grayson sees us?" That was all it took for him to scoop her up into his arms and carry into their bedroom. Theirs, he thought and smiled down at her. He laid her on the bed and crawled up to face her. She wrapped her legs around his waist, trying to bring him closer. In this harsh world, nothing was sweeter than Damon's kisses, she thought. She tipped her head up and kissed him again. He slid down and unbuttoned her jeans, sliding them down her legs. He sat on his knees looking down at her. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, or ever wanted the see. She was his, and his only and he wanted her always. She pressed her foot against his chest and then slid both feet around to his back, pulling him towards her. He needed no further invitation to resume their kissing. Elena trailed her hands down his chest, to his stomach, and then she jerked the top of his jeans. He laughed into her mouth and raised up to shed his jeans as well.

Damon was ready, more than ever. He hadn't seen his wife for longer than liked, and he wanted her now, she would be his, again. Damon kissed Elena like a starved man as she clawed at his arms and back. They were so close, when the doorbell rang. Grayson, they both thought. Elena kicked Damon off of her and searched the room for her clothes. Damon stayed put on the bed, watching his frantic wife act like a teenage who'd just been caught with her boyfriend. It was amusing to watch her freak out.

"Damon," she whispered, for no real reason. "Put your pants on." She threw him his pants, but couldn't find his shirt. Oh crap, she thought. They'd shed their shirts in the living room. She mentally kicked herself for her lack of self control, but looking at the man standing in front of her made extinguished her quelms. She ran at him, tackling him onto the bed. He huffed as he fell onto the bed, surprised. She kissed him, suddenly not caring who was at the door.

Jenna must've had her key, because they heard the door open. "Elena," Jenna called into the seemingly empty house.

"Yeah," she called. "I'll be done in a sec." She jerked a sweater on and ran downstairs. Damon sat back on his elbows, thinking. Had he really almost had sex with his wife? He shook his head, feeling like an idiot for how weird that sounded. Of course he could have sex with his wife. She was his wife for God's sake. He pulled his pants on and searched the closet for a shirt. Thankfully, Elena hadn't thrown all of his clothes down the stairs. He yanked the shirt over his head and walked to the stairs. He was soon surrounded with the sound of his son telling a story of how he'd gotten Ric to eat sand. He rounded the corner and heard his son squeal.

"Daddy!" Damon bent down as the boy ran to him. He scooped him into his arms and hugged him tightly. Elena watched quietly, but her insides were dancing with joy.

"Uh, Elena, can I talk to you in the kitchen please?" Jenna, without waiting for an answer, dragged Elena into the kitchen. "Do you know Damon's here?"

Dumb question, Jenna, Elena thought. "Yeah, I do. I think we're going to give it another shot, see if we can work things out." Jenna felt like she was going to slap Elena for speaking such nonsense. She had been the one to sleep here for weeks because Elena couldn't sleep alone. But now, Elena was just going to let Damon waltz back into her life, Jenna wasn't having it.

"Elena, this isn't going to end well. It'll be you, me, Ben, and Jerry in a few weeks. It won't work." Elena despised Jenna's pessimism, but she didn't care. She just wanted Damon back with her and Grayson, and it was happening. She could finally breathe again.

"Who knows, Jenna? All I know is that I want it to work." Elena, now finished with this conversation, turned and went back to Damon, Grayson, and an uncomfortable looking Ric.

"Hey guys, what are you all talking about?" Elena asked, looping around Damon's waist. Alaric looked ready to fight Damon. He'd been here with Elena, too. Had been put on dad duty for Grayson while Elena dealt with her marriage. Damon rubbed Elena's back and kissed her temple.

"Just talking, kitten. Grayson said that Ric ate sand. Kind of gross, dude." Damon laughed and Alaric cringed. Elena knew that if Jenna and Ric didn't leave, she'd be busy all night defusing a ticking time bomb. Luckily, Jenna was good at reading situations. She tugged on Alaric's arms and nodded her head towards the car. They said their goodbyes and left. Damon closed and locked the door. Elena followed Grayson upstairs to his room. An entire day had passed, meaning bedtime for Grayson.

"Mommy, can't I play with Daddy for a little while?" Elena knew that tomorrow was the weekend, but if Grayson didn't go to sleep then he'd but awake well into the morning.

Playing the bearer of bad news, Elena had to say no. She tucked him in and kissed his forehead before turning out his light. She walked to her room, hoping to find Damon, but he wasn't there. She went downstairs, but he wasn't there. Her heart sank, he'd left. She dragged up the stairs with tears in her eyes. For good measure, she decided to check to guest room. She quietly opened to door and found Damon sitting on the bed, facing away from her. She walked around and knelt down in front of him. She placed her hand on either side of his face and kissed him.

"Won't you come to bed, dear?" She asked. He smiled which cause his brimming tears to fall down his cheeks. He nodded and pulled her to him.

"I love you so much," he mumbled into the crook of her neck. She stood and took his hand in hers and led him into _their_ room.

* * *

**Again, a wee bit nervous about this chapter. Be good and review for Elijah wills you do so! I'll love you all forever.**

**Song: I and Love and You by The Avett Brothers**

**Disclaimer: I don't own TVD or Damon or Elena, just my idea.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Thank you again! Love you all :)**

**Questions answered: Elena seems to forgive Damon a wee bit quick, yes, but she's young and naive. She just wants everything to work out, ya know?**

**This is sort of a filler, hence the shortness(super sorry, by the way). Sort of gives you a glimpse into why they separated in the first place. Since most of the first two chapters were mainly Elena, I decided to use more of Damon in this one. Enjoy!**

* * *

Elena:

All of her life Elena had been fighting; she fought to stay strong for Jeremy when their parents died, fought for Jeremy when he'd turned to drugs, fought to be with Stefan, and she even fought the world when she wanted to be with Damon. But, Damon, as much as she loved him, wouldn't open up to her. He held his demons close to his side, never allowing anyone to get near them. It wasn't his fault though, he'd had plenty of life experiences of people telling him that he wasn't good enough to be loved. But,_ she_ loved him and _needed_ him. But he wasn't there, not emotionally anyways.

Lately, she couldn't even talk to him without him being plastered. She felt like a mistress to his liquor cabinet. Elena had felt him slipping away from her for some time, but didn't want to accept it. So she'd fought it, like she always did. She fought for him, more than he would fight for himself. She'd thought that they were done with his self-pity years ago, but that didn't seem to be the case anymore. So, she'd take care of Grayson while Damon drank himself into a stupor. She tried so hard to get in, to see why he was so upset, but he wouldn't let her. But, she tried to fight him, to tell him that he _needed_ to let her in, but he wouldn't. It'd hurt too much, he'd said.

She could see that he was hurting, and she tried. God, she tried, but he kept saying that it would hurt too much. Damon wasn't really one to willingly feel pain. In fact, he avoided anything that would cause him any kind of emotional pain. His pain caused her pain; she hurt so much, but he wasn't there. Still not his fault, he didn't _know _how to be there for anyone. Sure he could tell her that he loved her and that everything would be okay, but it didn't mean that she believed it. It was in his nature to be callous and, at times, apathetic. He'd let so many people in and all they did was hurt him. But she couldn't fight anymore; there was no fight left in her.

Damon:

All of his life Damon had been fighting; he fought his father for acceptance, his brother for acceptance, and Elena for love. Finally, to his surprise, he won a fight. He'd won Elena, fair and square. She'd chosen him and he was elated. But now, Damon found himself fighting himself to keep her; to be the man that she needed and wanted. He'd spent his entire life being 'not good enough' and 'second best'; to Katherine, his father, and even Elena; he'd fought long and hard for Elena to be his while being second best to his brother. Back then, he'd been through so much pain that he didn't want anymore of it. He couldn't deal with it anymore.

He wasn't the best at handling emotional situations. Normally, if he was emotionally invested in someone and they needed him, he'd drink until he knew what to do. So that's what he did; he drank. Drinking, in a sort of reverse way, made him think of everything that was wrong with him. He'd hurt so many people by just being himself. He was a good guy at heart, but that goodness didn't really register on the outside. He came across and apathetic, callous, an ass at times. So, like he'd done so many times before, he wallowed.

Elena had tried to make him open up, but he couldn't. It hurt to dig up the past, let alone talk about it. So he pushed her away, didn't talk to her, tried to stay away from any emotional avenue. He stayed cooped up in his study for hours until he fell asleep at his desk, drunk. Elena would clean up the alcohol, drag him into bed, and let him sleep his hangovers off. When he woke up, he try to drink the hangovers away. His drinking caused a strain on his marriage, until it broke.

Goodbyes were so embedded into his brain that he could pretty much smell them coming. Sure enough, after so many months of him drinking and not being there, Elena had had enough. She'd asked him leave and told him that she'd be happier without him. He knew it was true, how could he make anyone happy? She threw his clothes at him, yelling for him to leave and all the while he couldn't be angry with her. He'd kick himself out if her were Elena; he was a drunken mess. So he left, all to make her happy.

That night, instead of leaving, he'd sat on their porch, listening to her crying. _I ought to kick the crap out of myself for hurting the only person who ever really loved me,_ he thought. Knowing that, undoubtedly, she would be happy without him and that Grayson would be better off without him, he left hoping that one day, she'd love him again.

"I love you, Elena," he whispered into the dark, letting his words float with the wind hoping that by some miracle that they'd wait on her doorstep until she was ready to let him back in.

* * *

**I know and I'm sorry for it being so short. Wasn't really all that happy with this one, but oh well. Damon seems to be a big baby, but you all know that he's earned it. Fillers are the best -thumbs up-**

**So you like it? Review!**

**You don't: still leave a review and give me some criticism. It's okay, I can take it. Promise. Fingers crossed that it's greater than Ian's pretty face. That's reaching a bit, nothing is better than that. Not even cupcakes.**


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Thank you all so very much for your kind words and adding this story to favorites and alerts. It's humbling and I am truly grateful.**

**This chapter felt a bit eh to be but it's quite essential.**

**Love love love you all!**

* * *

_All the smiles you've had to fake _  
_And all the shit you've had to take _  
_Just to lead us here again _

_I never have the things to say _  
_To make it all just go away _  
_To make it all just disappear _

_Believe in me _  
_I know you've waited for so long _  
_Believe in me _  
_Sometimes the weak become the strong_

The sun peaked through the curtains in her upstairs bedroom, flooding the room with beams of light. It caught her eyes and she crinkled her nose, using her arm to cover her eyes. She sighed as she realized that she was indeed awake for the day. She lay there, staring at the ceiling, thinking. Damon had come home and she'd forgiven him, but really she hadn't. She wanted him and loved him, yes, but that didn't make up for what he'd put her through. She looked at him sleeping next to her and hoped that he'd changed.

She tip-toed out of bed, trying not wake Damon. Making her way down to Grayson's room was harder than she'd thought. Every place she stepped creaked, loudly. She prayed that Damon wouldn't wake up.

She finally rounded the corner next to Grayson's door and walked in. _Oh, doesn't just look adorable,_ she thought. He was sprawled out over his little bed in footy-pajamas and his stuffed bear - _kind of like the one I had, _she smiled. He was definitely Damon's son; Damon took up most of the bed, too.

She walked to the side of his bed slowly and knelt down, resting her hand on his cheek.

"Grayson, sweetie, you need to wake up," she said, but she hated to wake him so early. The little boy rustled around under his covers, turning every which way to fight conciousness. She gave him a small shake and his eyes fluttered open.

"Momma..." He could barely speak whilst drifting in and out of sleep. She gave him another small shake.

"Grayson, honey, get up. You're going to Aunt Jenna's today." He peered into her eyes with a questioning look. He rubbed his tired eyes and sat up.

"But, Momma, I went to Aunt Jenna's yesterday?" He rubbed his eyes again and yawned, stretching out his arms.

"Yes, I know," she said, rubbing her hand over his hair. "But, Daddy and I have some things we need to do today, so you get to go to Jenna's house today, too." Grayson seemed overjoyed to be going back to Jenna's. Truthfully, he really did like it there; he loved Jenna and Alaric so much. He threw the covers off him and boalted for his dresser. He drug clothes out, getting them everywhere. Elena searched his room for his backpack and they packed some clothes and toys into it. They quietly walked downstairs, heading for the door. Elena grabber her keys from the island in the kitchen and hurried Grayson into the car.

The drive to Jenna's wasn't a long one; though it felt like hours to Elena. In the small span of time, Grayson had fallen asleep. She looked at him through her rear-view and felt a deep regret. _I'm so sorry, love, _she thought.

They'd arrived at Jenna's no later than 9AM and Elena rushed Grayson inside. Jenna, who was busy making coffee, seemed alarmed at the sudden entry. Elena raised Grayson a bit to tell Jenna she needed something to lay him on. Jenna motioned for her to take him up to her old room. She walked upstairs, trying desperately to not wake him. She laid him down on the bed and kissed his cheek.

"I love you, Grayson." She switched off the light and closed the door before walking back to Jenna. She hadn't moved from her spot when Elena returned. She stood at the coffee maker - coffee in hand, waiting for an explanation.

"What's going on, Elena?" She whispered. Elena raised her hands to calm Jenna.

"I just need to bring Grayson here for a couple of days. Damon's back and I'm not sure if he's completely changed..." She trailed off, fully realizing her words. Instantly, she changed back into calm Elena and continued: "Damon may still be drinking and I don't want Grayson around that right now. So, please Jenna?" She practically begged her aunt. Jenna shook her head.

"I don't want Grayson around that either. Of course he can stay here," Jenna said, smiling. Elena, relieved beyond belief, enveloped her aunt in crushing hug. She thanked her and walked back out to her car.

She opened the door and got in, putting her key into the ignition. She started the engine and backed out of the driveway. The drive back to her house was quiet and lonely, to say the least. She hoped that Damon was still asleep when she returned; it would be harder to explain herself if he'd woken up by himself.

She stopped in her driveway and made her way to the door. She was about to put her key into the lock when the door was yanked open. Damon, who was looking down, almost knocked her over and he walked out.

"Elena... what? Where... where have you been? I was worried." She stepped around him and went inside. She sat her keys on the island and slid off her shoes.

"I went to Jenna's," she replied, cooly. "I took Grayson to Jenna's. He'll be staying there for a couple of days." Damon looked appalled at this. Did she think that he'd intentionally hurt his own son? _I'd die before that happened,_ he thought. He stepped into the house, shutting the door behind him. Elena continued.

"We both know that you like to... drink, ecsessively. I didn't want Grayson around that for a while; I mean, you just came back. He doesn't need that right now." She hadn't dared look him in the eye, she'd kept her head down counting the green fibers of the carpet. Damon hadn't spoken either. They stood in silence; Elena looking down and Damon staring holes into Elena.

The silence was broken by Damon's half-hearted laugh. He rubbed the back of his neck and walked around Elena, shaking his head. She turned as he was climbing the stairs.

"It's for the best... Damon," she called to him, knowing that he could hear but he didn't respond.

Hours later, Elena hadn't heard anything from Damon. He hadn't come back downstairs and if he had, he'd been stealthy about it. She kept reading her book until finally she could take it anymore. She tossed the book onto the other end of the couch and trudged up the stairs into her room.

Damon was passed out on the bed asleep. She walked towards him, like how a big cat stalks its prey, analyzing everything. As she neared, he didn't stir, she didn't even hear him breathe. Fearing the worst, she pounced on him. She began yelling his name and shaking him furiously. His eyes popped open and he grabbed her arms, hard.

"Are you _trying_ to give me a heart attack?" His eyes were wide and she stared into them, feeling as if she could get lost forever in them. Not being able to control herself, she crushed her mouth against his, kissing him wildly. He hesitated, but soon returned her fury. He rested his hands on her hips and alarm signals went off in Elena's head. She pulled away and rolled off of him. He looked stunned and a little aroused at her behavior. He'd never seen his wife like this before; so much passion and wild, animalistic fury.

He rolled onto his side and grabbed her arm, trying to pull her back to him. She scooted to him and kissed him, gently this time. It was a long kiss; long and slow, the type of kiss you gave after not seeing someone if months.

She put a hand on his chest and pushed a bit. "That's all you get," she smiled. "We've got serious matters to discuss." Damon rolled onto his back, his raven hair falling away from his face.

"Like why you won't let me be around Grayson? I'm clean Elena, I promise." His eyes were burning into hers and she wanted so badly to believe him, but just couldn't, not yet anyways. She swore that she saw tears swimming in his deep blue, ocean eyes, but it was gone soon. Damon folded his arms behind his head and stared at the ceiling.

"That, and your drinking. That has to stop, I mean it." She kissed his cheek, leaving a tear in its wake. He turned to look at her and brushed the remaining tears from her cheeks.

"I know and I promise that I'm clean," Damon reassured her, leaving hot kisses on her cheeks and forehead.

Elena knew that he wanted sex, but she couldn't do that right now. She jumped off the bed and started for the door.

"I'm hungry..." She trailed off as she went further down the hall. Damon groaned and sat up in bed. The woman was literally trying to kill him. He left the room and found her in the kitchen digging through cupboards. He watched her as she strained to reach to top shelves. He walked up behind her and gently grabbed her hips and pulled her to his chest.

"Let me get that," he whispered hotly on her ear. He felt her shiver and felt a bit accomplished. He smirked and grabbed the box she was reaching for. He set in on the counter and kissed her shoulder, turning back around to try to make something of the mess she strewn everywhere.

"So," he said, "What are we eating?" He felt a bit happier knowing that he still had a small hold over his stubborn wife, but he still wanted to see Grayson, more than anything.

"Not sure yet." She was still digging through cupboards trying to find something. He decided that he should take over.

"Here," he said taking hold of her shoulder. "Why don't you go sit down and let me do this." It really wasn't a question; he loved his wife, just not her cooking. She smiled up at him and moved out of the kitchen to sit at the island.

While he was cooking he could feel her eyes on him. She was watching his every move, like a cat on the prowl. But, as soon as he'd felt her, she was gone. Instead, she was right behind him, lacing her arms around his waist and nestling her face into his back. He clasped his hand over hers and whispered, "I love you so much, Elena." She rubbed her face against his back and said, "I know." She unlaced her arms and came around to stand by his side. She rubbed his back with her hand and smiled up at him.

"Smells delicious." Her eyes were dancing with love and desire, but most of all, her wanting him. That was it, he was a goner. He'd make sure that he'd never do anything to seperate him from Elena ever again.

* * *

**I'm biting my nails in anticipation of your thoughts! Have yet to decide how long it will be, but hopefully more than 10 chapters -fingers crossed- I have a million ideas in my head for this little fic, I'm having trouble sorting them.**

**Oh, and I know that the chapters seem rather short and I am sorry. I am trying not to give too much away before we get to the good parts -wicked smile-**

**Love you all!**

**Song: Believe by Staind**

**Disclaimer: Do not own anything associated with The Vampire Diaries, though I wish I did. A girl can dream...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Please don't hate me.**

* * *

"Why don't you have a taste?" He asked holding the wooden spoon to her mouth. She licked the sauce from the spoon and moaned. She nodded her head and kept moaning as she ate the rest of the sauce off the spoon. His breath caught in his throat and he almost choked.

"It's as delicious as it smells, darling," she said with her eyes still closed. She grabbed two plates and went to the table and set it. He was hoping to be right beside her, but she'd set them on each side of the table. He sighed a little thinking about the amount of space he'd have from her.

They ate in silence, stealing glances here and there. It was becoming unbearable, so Damon decided to end it. He abruptly dropped his fork making a _clang_ on his plate. Elena's head raised as the noise.

"Elena..." It was becoming hard for him to form words; to say what she needed - _wanted_ - to hear, but _had_ to.

"Elena," he started again. "I'm sorry. For everything; for being a jerk and for doing this to us." Tears were playing at the corners of his eyes and he knew that she could see their glimmering.

"I know you are." Was all she said. _She's not ready to forgive me yet_, he thought. And she wasn't, not yet anyway.

After his confession, Elena felt a little uncomfortable. I mean, that's what she wanted. He apologized, but she hadn't forgiven him. She couldn't yet. So many things had happened, it didn't mean that she loved him less, but it did mean that she would be more cautious this time.

Damon broke her train of thought. "I guess, ya know if you're done, I'll clean this up?" His eyes glistened with tears and despair and she felt her heart clench. She nodded and rose from her seat, walking into the living room.

As she sat quietly on the couch she could hear water running and dishes clanging together, but nothing else. She was left with her thoughts, a place she had no desire to be.

Damon washed dishes slowly feeling tired and, quite honestly, he wanted a drink, like now. He shook his head brushing the idea off. _Your changing for her,_ he reminded himself. Changing. When he thought about it, he hated it; hated change more than anything. But, as the saying goes, _change is inevitable_. And if he wanted Elena to forgive and trust him again, he had to do this for her; he had to be _better_.

Damon finished and joined Elena, sitting on the chair next to her. He rubbed his hand across his face and through his hair, trying to find words.

"What can I do?" He asked, staring pleadingly into her eyes. His gaze was too much and she dropped her eyes to the floor.

"What do you mean?" She fained innocence, twisting her fingers around the fabric of her shirt.

He huffed in annoyance, "You know what I mean." Elena continued fingering the fabric as he waited.

"I, uh..." She lifted her tear-filled eyes to his and his heart plummeted. He didn't want her to cry, he definitely wasn't worth her tears. "Please... just..." she wrapped her hands around his and knelt in front of him. "Please, Damon." He wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"What, darling, what?" She lifted her hands to hold his face and kissed him. He closed his eyes, just wanting to feel her lips on his.

"Please, let me in," she whispered against his lips before kissing him again. He froze at her words. She felt his sudden stiffness and pulled away, searching his eyes. He brought his hand to her clasping them together. He closed his eyes and pulled her hands down onto his knees.

He opened his eyes and said, "Ask me tomorrow." Damon stood and walked around her. She sucked in a breath almost choking on it. Her head was spinning and her heart felt like it was going to explode. She spun around as he was walking into his study.

"That's not good enough!" She yelled, feeling the anger inside her building. His head drooped and he chuckled without humor.

"I never was," he said before closing and locking the door to his study, metaphorically shutting her out.

Elena, albeit hard, gathered herself and went to her phone and dialed Jenna's number.

"Hello." She heard a sleepy, male voice answer.

"Alaric, it's Elena. I need to you tell Jenna that Grayson needs to stay a little longer and tell Grayson that I love him, okay?"

"Uh, yeah. Everything alright?" He sounded on the brink of falling asleep so she had to make this quick.

"Yeah, just make sure you tell them. It's important, Alaric. Tell Grayson I'll come see him tomorrow." She raked her hand through her hair and heaved a sigh of relief when he agreed and they'd hung up. She laid the phone on the table and went to Damon's study.

She stood at the door for a while just listening. She couldn't hear anything, _he must've fallen asleep_, she thought.

Damon, who'd instantly stopped making noise when he heard Elena approach the door, sat in silence. She just stood there, neither knocking nor making noise. She just seemed to be listening. He stared at the door until he heard her walk away and saw the light under the door turn off. He spun back around in his chair and stared at the pictures of his desk. One was of his and Elena's wedding day, another of him and Stefan - he felt that he needed to dispose of that one - and the last was of Grayson. Elena'd told him that he couldn't see him just yet and he'd agreed, but now he felt stupid for agreeing to not seeing his only son. He grabbed the picture and traced the outlines of the little boy's face. Then realization hit him. He didn't have to sit around and wait to see Grayson, he had a car and he knew where he was._ No, Damon, you idiot, _a voice in his head screamed, _if you don't do what she wants then you'll never be with her._ He hated how right that voice was, but he _needed_ to see his son. _And you will,_ the voice said, _patience. _

Patience. He hated that word, too. Damon Salvatore waited for nothing; he always got what he wanted and Elena knew that. _Still a cocky, arrogant ass, aren't we?_ He laughed at himself before rising from his seat and walking towards the door. He unlocked and opened the door, flicking off the light as he walked out, heading for the stairs.

He yawned and stretched out his arms as he neared his and Elena's bedroom. He was about to walk in, but noticed that the door was closed. Was it locked? He tested the handle noticing that, thank God, it turned easily and the door creaked open. The light from the hall barely lit her face, but even in the dark his heart still sputtered at the sight of her. He could see the tear stains on her cheeks and saw that she was sleeping on his side of the bed. She truly wanted him to let her in, but it was too hard for him. Feeling regret, he closed the door and walked into the guest room. It wasn't his ideal place to sleep and it felt wrong to not have her beside him, but sleep was winning over the battle in his head. Minutes later, Damon was passed out on the bed, soundlessly.

* * *

Elena sat up in bed; she hadn't gotten much sleep last few nights. She'd cried most of the nights. _Why can't things go back to the way they used to be?_ She rubbed her aching, swollen eyes and sighed. He hadn't come to bed last night and it made her heart clench. She hadn't been asleep when he'd opened the door and watched her. As he closed it, she had to cover her mouth so he couldn't hear to heart wrenching cry that broke through her lips.

After that night, Damon had slept in the guest room every night. The knot in her chest clenched even tighter each night that she'd fallen asleep alone. They hadn't said much to each other during the day, only briefs hellos and good mornings. He told her he loved her before she would fall asleep and kiss her lightly on the lips before leaving for _his _room.

She'd visited Grayson and they'd gone to park and fed birds and played. He never asked about Damon anymore, _I guess he's given up_, she thought. He was becoming more like Damon everyday and it made her heart ache for him even more. Her son didn't seem to want to know his father anymore. She'd heard him slip up that day and call Alaric 'dad', but Alaric laughed and assured her that it was only the first time he'd done it. Elena hadn't been reassured by that though. She knew that it was beyond time for Grayson to better know his father. She also knew that Damon's separation from his son was driving him deeper into the state he'd been when she'd made him leave the first time, and she never wanted that to happen again.

She pushed herself out of bed when she smelled eggs and bacon in the air. Her stomach growled reminding her of how little she'd eaten the past few days. She bounded down the stairs finding a cheerful Damon in the kitchen.

"Good morning," he said, kissing her cheek. "Breakfast?" He asked while holding a plate of food in the air. She nodded and they sat at the island an ate.

"So, I was thinking," he said breaking the silence, "Maybe Grayson could come home today?" She could see so much hope in his eyes. He'd been so patient with her and had done everything she'd asked of him. She chewed her food and thought it over. Swallowing she held up a finger.

"You haven't had a drink while you've been here." It wasn't a question, simply an observation.

"No, I haven't." His eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "I thought I told you that I haven't had a drink since you kicked me out?" She'd stopped eating long ago, but this new information made breath hitch and her eyes water.

She smiled, "No, you never mentioned that. That's great, Damon. Really great." Her smile kept growing until it was a full force grin and he was beaming with hope.

"So, can he come home?" Damon's blue eyes dropped down to his plate as he pushed his food around with his fork. Elena's heart clenched in her chest at the picture in front of her. Damon was showing signs of vulnerability; she was making a breakthrough, however small it was. Her heart beamed with accomplishment and pride.

"That'd be wonderful, Damon." Before the words were out of her mouth, Damon had appeared in front of her enveloping her mouth with his. He kissed her and pulled her into his arms.

"Thank you," he whispered into her neck and kissed the skin connecting her shoulder and neck.

She hugged him tightly and nodded. In a flash, Damon had lifted her up and was carrying upstairs into her room. All she could do was grin at him and giggle. He dropped her onto the bed and settled in-between her legs bringing his lips to her again. He urged her mouth open and she happily obliged. He slid his hands down her sides and tugged at the hem of her shirt. She raised up so he could easily lift over her head. When he threw her shirt over his shoulder, she all but ripped his shirt from his body. His bare chest free for the taking, her anxious, trembling hands raked down his muscled chest. She looked up at him through heavy lidded eyes and threw her arms around his neck, bringing his lips back to her. They explored each other mouths until neither could breathe.

She undid his belt and pulled it from the loops and quickly started undoing the button and zipper. He stilled her hands and stepped off the bed, sliding out of his jeans and boxers. She undid the silk ribbon from her pajama shorts and slid them off. As he look down on her a flash of heat rippled through his body and he all but took her right then, but he wanted it to be slow to make up for lost time. He crawled back up her body, pressing his tightly to her. He loved her like this, uninhibited and wild. Her hair was fanned out around her and she looked perfect; like an angel, one he didn't deserve. He pushed aside all thoughts and began ravishing her body with hot, open mouthed kisses, pulling moans from her lips.

Pleasure was coursing through her body as Damon kissed every bit of her skin. And then it happened. He began to make her forget everything. All thoughts and feelings gone; he just wanted her to feel pure bliss, pleasure, and all the love he had for her right now and nothing else.

* * *

They lay in a sweaty mess on their bed. Elena laughed which cause Damon's ego to shrink a bit. He rolled onto her and pinned her arms to the bed.

"What's so funny?" He asked, a smile playing at the corner of his lips. Elena continued to giggle causing Damon's face to fall and he rolled off of her onto his back.

"No, no. It was amazing, I swear. It's just... I'm happy is all,' she said wrapping her arms around and resting her head on his chest.

"I know I am," he smirked. She laughed and the batted his chest with the back of her hand. She suddenly pulled away from him and got out of bed, pulling jeans and a shirt from her closet.

"Where ya going?" He asked, propping himself on his elbows. She turned around and ogled to man laying naked on her bed. She threw her clothes to the floor and crawled back up his body.

"How did I get such a sexy husband?" She whispered against his lips. He groaned as she purposely dodged his lips as he tried to kiss her.

"Lucky I guess," he groaned as she kissed his chest before getting out of bed again. "Tease," he called to her as she ran into the bathroom.

"I have to get Grayson, remember?" She laughed, fully clothed she opened the door and walked around the bed. She kissed him gently and whispered 'I love you' before grabbing her keys and running out of the room.

"Love you, too," he yelled and fell back onto the bed.

Elena hadn't noticed that it had started to rain, but as she ran to her car she became soaked. She started the engine and started towards Jenna's. She couldn't help but think over what had just happened. She didn't regret it, to be honest she wouldn't mind if it happened again and again and again. Ugh, that man was infuriating, but she loved it.

The rain came down faster and harder and she neared Jenna's. She was glad that she was picking up Grayson now before anything else happened. She parked in the driveway and ran onto the porch, banging on the door. Alaric pulled the door open and motioned her to come in.

"Elena, you're soaked," he laughed and so did she.

"I'm here for Grayson, where's he at?" She walked through the house looking for him. She searched the living room and and the upstairs rooms, finally finding him asleep in Jenna's room. She smiled and walked to the bed, picking him up gently and cradling him to her chest. She walked back to Alaric and whispered her thanks as he handed her an umbrella.

"You be careful," she heard him say as she got into her car. She waved as she drove away.

She looked at the little boy sleeping in her backseat and thanked God for him and his father. They were truly her knights in shining armor. She could barely see the red light in front of her when she stopped. She drummed her fingers on the steering wheel waiting for it to turn green.

And then it happened in slow motion. She drove forward and saw the headlights out of the corner of her eyes.

Then she felt it. Pain as the truck rammed into her car.

And then nothing.

Darkness was all around her.

She tried to fight, but the pain was too much.

Wanting no more pain, she welcomed the darkness falling deep into it.

* * *

**Again, please don't hate me.**

**Review? Or, burn me at the stake? BTW, I don't write smut, sorry :(**

**Disclaimer: I don't own TVD, Damon, or Elena. But Damon... ugh, a girl can dream...**

* * *

Update: I'm trying my hardest to get the next chapter written, but it's taking a bit longer than expected. Ya see, my great-uncle just died and my cousin is coming home from the Marines, so things have been hectic. To top it all off, I have writers block. AGAIN! ARGH!

Oh, and this has been nagging me forever. I've been trying to find this fic, but I can't remember what it's called.

The part of the plot that I vaguely remember:

Elena and Damon live in an alternate universe(kinda George Orwell-ish) and are separated by a wall. Damon is a business man? and Caroline is his secretary who is seeing Stefan. The privileged aren't allowed to associate with the people from the other side. Elena escapes? and finds herself on the other side of the wall.

It's really been killing my, guys. I NEED TO KNOW WHAT IT IS OR ELSE I'LL GO NUTS! Please and thank you :)


	6. Chapter 6

_Hey lady, don't give up on me_

_Don't burn your heart out, love, until we're ash over seas_

_Hey lady, said I don't wanna fight_

_Like pretty girls need cowboys_

**_I need you here tonight_**

_Sirens._ She heard them but couldn't see them, the lights were too bright. She tried to blink to light away but she couldn't see to open her eyes when they closed. Nothing was working. Elena tried to push herself from the wet surface she was lying on. _Ow! _Someone's hands were on her, poking and proding at every inch of her body. _Ow, STOP! _She screamed, but the words never escaped her lips.

"Elena!" She heard her name and tried to search for the speaker but she couldn't move. Her body couldn't take the pain anymore. _Footsteps._ _Grayson. Where's Grayson? _The footsteps were getting closer and louder. Her face was wet and she wondered if she'd been crying. It didn't sound like it was raining, but everything was becoming muffled now so she didn't know. Elena felt someone beside her and her hands and arms were being touched. It was a familiar touch; she loved this touch. She felt comfortable now and she tried again to open her eyes. She forced herself and yelled at her brain to open her eyes, but nothing happened.

"Elena..." The voice was becoming distant. She felt herself being pulled into the unknown. The lights were becoming brighter and she couldn't hear anyone anymore. It was the end, she could feel - accepted it. But her heart wouldn't let her give up, it kept screaming for her to fight.

"Elena..." It came again as a whisper so far away she wondered if her imagination conjured up the voice. "Please..." Then her heart screamed at her. It kept yelling a name; one she couldn't quite make out. It kept screaming until she could no longer hear it anymore.

She was falling, but it wasn't bad. Not as bad as people make out to be. It felt nice - like flying. Her thoughts were becoming muffled and she could no longer hear nor see anything or anyone; not even the lights. Her heart had stopped telling her to fight. It made it easier when her head and heart agreed. She began letting the darkness take her deeper and deeper. And then she saw someone. It was fuzzy, but it was definitely a face. _Oh my goodness, he's beautiful_, she thought. His mouth was moving. Was he trying to talk to me? She squinted and indeed, he was trying to say something to her.

"Don't give up..." His face disappeared and her heart ached at the sudden lonliness. She wanted to see his face again but the darkness was taking her too quickly.

But she didn't want to leave right now. There was something - someone - that needed her. Her heart fluttered as she remembered her beloved's name.

_Damon.

* * *

_

"Someone get me a gurnie, she's fading fast. We've gotta get her to the hospital, now." One of the paramedics had been doing CPR for the last ten minutes, but it didn't seem to be working. _Thankfully_, Damon thought, _Grayson's okay. _He turned his head to see the little boy standing a few feet behind him staring down at his mother's nearly lifeless body. Damon, now alarmed at what his son was seeing, jumped to his feet and hurried the boy away.

"What's wrong with Mommy?" Grayson asked, looking up at Damon through his almost transparent, blue eyes. Damon sucked in a breath to calm himself.

"The car that hit Mommy's hurt her pretty bad, so she's gotta go to the doctor."

"But, Daddy -"

"Now, no 'buts'. I'm gonna call your Aunt Jenna and tell her what's going on. You stay right here," Damon said pointing to the ground. He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and quickly dialed Jenna's number. After explaining what happened, Jenna went in to hysterics, yelling at Damon and crying and then yelling at Damon more. It was okay though, she needed a release. Damon simply nodded and tried to calm her down as she was running to her car. They didn't bother with goodbyes as they ended the call and Damon turned his attention to his son.

"Grayson," he said turning him every which way checking for cuts or bruises. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

"No..." Grayson trailed off as he watched his mother lifted onto a gurnie and wheeled towards that ambulance.

Jenna, living only minutes away from the crash sight, arrived as Elena was being lifted into the ambulance. Her car came to a screeching hault and she bolted from the car and ran towards Damon. Damon didn't have time to move before Jenna threw her arms around him. The awkward hug lasted only seconds before Jenna ran towards the ambulance.

"Jenna," Damon called to her. She turned quickly, her auburn hair becoming wet from the droplets of still falling rain.

"Will you take Grayson while I ride to the hospital with Elena?" Damon almost pleaded with her and she could see the pain in his eyes. She simply nodded and took Grayson's hand and led him towards her car.

"Daddy," Grayson called.

"I'll see you in a while, buddy." Damon smiled and waved goodbye before climbing into the ambulance and sitting next to Elena. He took Elena's hand in his and kissed it.

"Just hang on, love, for me. Just hang on," he whispered onto the skin of her cold, wet hand and kissed it again.

They arrived at the hospital quickly and Damon jumped out allowing the paramedics easier access to Elena. He followed them as they ran her through the hallway of the emergency room. He ran beside her until a larger doctor stepped in front of him. Damon tried to push his way around him, but the doctor wasn't moving.

"I'm sorry, sir, but you can't go any further."

"You don't understand, that's my wife."

"I realize, but you have to stay here. We're gonna do all that we can." The man gave him a warm, sympathetic smile before walking through the doors towards the room they'd placed Elena.

Jenna walked through the emergency room doors holding a sleeping Grayson.

"Damon." She walked towards him and adjusted Grayson on her hip. "What'd they say?"

"They said that we have to wait out here and that they'll do everything they can." He motion towards a group of empty chairs. Jenna walked to the chairs and sat down carefully. Damon extended his arms and lifted Grayson from Jenna's. He cradled the small boy to his chest and whispered 'thank yous' into his hair before kissing it. He sat down and held Grayson tightly, vowing to never let anything like this happen again.

Hours ticked by slowly as Elena's emergency surgery was underway. Damon hated hospitals; they smelled of sickness and overly used cleaning supplies. Almost an hour ago, he'd been informed that it wasn't certain how long Elena would be in surgery. She had internal bleeding and head injuries. The doctors weren't as worried about the head injuries and they were the internal bleeding; they couldn't find the source, therefore they hadn't been able to stop it, yet. Grayson had woken up two hours ago and Jenna had carried him to the cafeteria for a snack.

As the hours kept going by slowly, Damon found himself in the hospital's chapel sitting uncomfortably in a pew. He'd never been _that _religious. Though he'd grown up in a catholic family, he'd decided to quit the church in his early teens. The last time he'd been in a church was his wedding day six years ago. He wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans and leaned forward, clasping his hands together onto the back of the pew in front of him.

"Uh..." He didn't really know where to begin, so he just started to talking. "I don't really know how to do this but... If you're there, please, Elena needs you." Tears prickled at his eyelashes.

"I need her so much." He looked towards the front of the chapel at the assortment of lit candles and waited for some sort of sign.

"Then you should tell her that," a voice said from behind him. Damon whirled around to find his brother standing in the doorway.

Stefan shrugged his shoulders and said, "Jenna called me." Before Damon could think, he was walking towards his brother. Stefan straightened himself and stood ready from Damon's oncoming anger. Stefan's eyes widened in surprise as Damon hugged him tightly. Damon clung to Stefan, unsure of what else to do. Stefan gripped the fabric of Damon's shirt and pulled him tighter to him as Damon cried onto his shoulder.

Damon sniffed and wiped his eyes, pulling away from his brother. He fixed his shirt and looked at Stefan.

"Thanks," was all he could say. Stefan nodded and they walked side-by-side back to waiting room. They hadn't been sitting for a few minutes before and doctor came through the operating room doors. He hurriedly walked towards them and Damon, not fully prepared for the worst.

"We stopped the bleeding," he said and Damon let out a breath. "But, her injuries were so severe that she's been put into a medically induced coma until she has healed properly. We've also moved her into her own recovery room. It's room 216, right down this hall and it's two doors on the left. We'd did all that we could for now." He smiled and shook Damon's hand before walking away. Damon didn't bother thanking him, he simply ran towards the room Elena was in.

Sunlight filtered through the curtain covered window beside Elena's bed, highlighting the vast amounts of machines and tubes connected to her. Damon stood in the doorway for a few seconds working up his will. He'd never been all that great with these sort of things. Nonetheless, this was his wife and she needed him now more than ever. He grabbed a chair and sat it beside her bed. He took her hand in his and stroked it before kissing it just as he'd done in the ambulance ride here.

A tear slipped from his eye and landed on her perfect skin. His crystal, blue eyes were now shining with his unshed tears as he glided a hand across Elena's forehead and hair.

"Please come back to me," he said as tears spilled over his eyelids and slid down his cheeks. It was all he wanted; Elena was all he wanted right now.

He kissed her hand and placed his forehead on the back of her hand.

"Don't leave me again." And he cried onto her hand as Stefan watched quietly in the doorway.

* * *

Sorry it took so long to update; family stuff :/ Thank you all for being patient :)

Song: Hey Lady - Thriving Ivory

Disclaimer: I don't own nothing. Just my ideas.


	7. Chapter 7

Sorry it took so long, been in a funk lately.

* * *

_One week._

_Seven days._

_148 hours._

Elena had been in a coma for a week now and Damon had yet to leave the hospital. He would eat in the hospital cafeteria, but promptly return to Elena's side lest she wake without him there. Jenna and Alaric would bring Grayson to see Elena daily, but Damon didn't want his son to see her in her comatose state much out of fear that that would be the only way he would remember her if she didn't wake up. So, Grayson and Damon would have their own visits while Jenna and Alaric spent some time with Elena. Damon would prop Grayson on his knee as Grayson weaved tale after tale of what he'd done that day or he'd bring a book along to show off his newly learned skill. Damon beamed with pride as his son would glide over the pages flawlessly as he would read to his mother. Over the past seven days, Grayson had read to Elena everyday. He'd already gone through all of the_ Curious George_ books and was now on the ever entertaining _Dr. Seuss._ Though he listened intently as Grayson read, his insides cringed with each moronic rhyme, but he couldn't be more happy to hear those rhymes coming from his only son.

Soon, though too soon for Damon, Jenna and Alaric would say their goodbyes as Grayson kissed his mother's cheek. "I love you mommy," he would say as he patted her hand and hugged Damon. After they'd gone, Damon would scoot his chair to Elena's bedside and take her hand in his. He kissed her lips softly and pressed his forehead to hers.

"I love you." He gave her hand a gently squeeze before silence ensued until he fell asleep with Elena's hand firmly in his.

* * *

Sunlight filtered through the curtains, lightly touching Damon's eyelids. He scrunched his nose at the enemy sun, _five more minutes please._ The sunlight became brighter as the sun moved higher into the sky, seeming to ensure that Damon wouldn't be getting those extra five minutes. He heaved a sigh and opened his eyes. Instantly his eyes fell upon the tubes and machines still connected to his wife and he felt a pang in his chest. She'd been comatose for a week without any sign of her waking up. Although he was still hopeful, her doctors had informed him that if she were going to wake up then she would've done so by now. He rubbed her hand and let out a chuckle. Elena was the most stubborn woman he'd ever met, and it was very unlikely that she'd do anything she was told to do - or expected to do, for that matter. He scimmed his fingertips down her arm before clasping his hand around hers. A tears slipped silently from his eye and slid down his cheek as he brought her hand to his lips.

"Oh my love," he whispered softly into her palm. "I wish you weren't so stubborn." He kissed her hand again as he heard a light knock on the door. He quickly wiped the tear away and turned his head to find Jeremy, Bonnie, and Caroline standing in the doorway. All three faces held sympathetic, weak smiles that made Damon queasy.

"Hi." Bonnie held up her tiny hand in a mock wave and stepped forward into the room and Caroline and Jeremy followed suit.

"Bonnie, Jeremy, Caroline, glad you could make it," Damon gritted through his clenched teeth. Elena had been here a week and they hadn't called or tried to find out how she was. He'd called them the day of the accident and they'd told him that they'd get there as soon as they could.

"We got here as soon as we could, Damon." Bonnie said, echoeing his thoughts perfectly. He continued to rub circles on Elena's hand with his thumb, refusing to look at them.

"Could've been sooner," he muttered under his breath. Caroline's weak smile dropped into a frown and she heard Damon's counter.

"Well, what matters is that we're here now," she said, playing to part of peacemaker. "And we'd like to see Elena... alone, please." Damon hadn't gotten much sleep that night, so he didn't feel like arguing with the tall blonde. He gave her a slight nod before standing from his chair. He smoothed Elena's hair down with his hand and kissed her forehead.

"I should probably grab a bite to eat," he said as he made his way to the door. He grimaced as he thought of the less that edible _goo_ that the cafetera served.

"Uh, I'll go too and give you guys some 'girl time'," Jeremy said as he followed Damon out of the room. They walked in silence down the hallways towards the lunch area; they didn't really need to say anything because they both knew how the other was feeling - although, let's be honest, they didn't really want to break the male norm and have a discussion of their _feelings._ It made Damon sick just thinking about it.

The moment Damon saw what the hospital was trying to pass off as food, he immediately opted for something from a vending machine. After settling on chips and a water, he sat down at an empty table with Jeremy seated across from him. With neither asking for nor volunteering information, they fell into an awkward silence as Damon ate and Jeremy watched.

"I'm sorry, dude," Jeremy said, finally breaking the silence. Damon hated teenager jargen about as much as he hated _Dr. Seuss_, but he could forgive his brother-in-law. He cocked an eyebrow at Jeremy and swallowed.

"Not your fault."

"Still," Jeremy countered and with that the fell back into their silence until they made their way back to Elena's room.

"...oh, and Jeremy and I are engaged! Can you believe it Elena? We're gonna be sisters, finally," Damon heard as they walked through the door. Jeremy, being the dutiful fiance, stood next to Bonnie as Damon waited to resume his position by Elena's side.

"One day, Elena, you're going to have to come out to Los Angeles. It is so beautiful and sunny," Caroline rambled as she played with Elena's hair. Damon could see the tears brimming in her eyes, but she kept a wide grin plastered on her face. Bonnie turned her attention to Damon as Caroline continued to ramble on about how great California was.

"How are you doing, Damon?" She said as she gave his shoulder a squeeze.

"Walkin' on sunshine, and you?"

"Damon," she said.

"Bonnie," he echoed hoping she'd get the hint that he didn't want to talk about it with her. Bonnie, clearly taking a hint, held up her palms in surrender and walked back to Jeremy and Caroline. After their almost conversation, Damon zoned out as Caroline's voice invaded his senses.

"...and Grayson. Oh, I bet he is _such_ a cutie, Elena." Damon's ego surged as he recalled that his son was in fact a cutie, as he did look like Damon.

"Where is he?" Caroline asked in Damon's direction.

"Jenna's." Caroline searched her brain to remember where Jenna and Alaric had moved and then a smile spread across her face.

"We should go see him. It's been so long, Bonnie." She gave Bonnie a pleading, almost child-like, look and stuck out her bottom lip. So like her, Damon thought. She turned her pout towards Damon and he all but told her to leave as he gestured towards the door. Her pout turned into a smile when Bonnie said yes and they all stood to leave. They all gave Elena a kiss on the cheek and said their goodbyes before walking out of the room. Jeremy stopped in front of Damon and stuck his hand out. Damon warily took Jeremy's and in a shake and nodded his thanks. When they left, he closed the door and took his position by Elena's side.

"Oh my love," he said taking her hand in his, "You have the _weirdest_ friends." He laughed a little as his mindly suddenly flashed to Caroline's pouty face. He waited for her to counter him, but she didn't. He feared that she may be forever silent and oh how he wanted to hear her voice again. He didn't even care if she yelled at him, he just wanted to hear her voice that was like a symphony in his ears. And he wanted to feel her ambrosial kisses as she pressed her body against his, making it all that much harder for him to breathe. With her, he didn't seem to be able to hang on to any strand of control, but he loved every second of it. He twurled her engagment ring around her finger as he thought about the day that would forever be etched into his brain and branded on his soul.

_"Okay, no peeking, you promised." His hands were covering her eyes as he walked her into a delicately lit room with a small table with two chairs. The table was topped with a blood red table cloth that hung to the floor and a large, white candle that lit the small area. The rest of the room was lit by intreqitly placed candles. He continued to walk her forward until he suddenly stopped, the abrupt movement making her giggle. Her hand came up to his as she tried to pry them from her eyes so she could finally see where they were._

_"Ah, ah, ah Elena. You promised." She sighed dramatically and he could practically hear her bottom lip jut out into an obvious pout._

_"But, Damon, I wanna see," she whined, making him laugh. Suddenly she turned around and their noses touched as she smiled at him. She pressed her body hard against his and lightly ground her hips into his causing his breath to catch in his throat. She peered up at him with lust-filled eyes as she brought her lips to his. He became almost lost in the kiss until she pulled away suddenly and giggled. He opened his eyes as she was turning around. Her mouth fell open and her eyes brimmed with tears._

_"It's beautiful," was all she could say. She turned to face him and threw her arms around his neck. "You did this?" she asked._

_"All for you," he said. He pushed her back gently and then pulled out her chair as she sat down. Instead of sitting down across from her, Damon remained beside her as he fiddled with something in his pocket. Elena's brow knitted together as he dropped to one knee with a small box in his hand. It took her a minute to register what was happening. A tear slipped down her cheek as he opened to box and she realized that this moment would forever be branded on her soul and etched into her brain._

_He studied her face for a moment before swallowing. Now or never, he thought. He took a deep breath and looked deeply into her molten chocolate eyes._

_"Elena," he began, "you are..."_

_"Yes," she said, cutting him off. He was taken aback at how quick she was to answer._

_"Let me finish," he said. Her mouth popped into a O shape and she nodded as a light giggle escaped her lips._

_"You are the most infuriating person," he said and she wrapped her arms around her chest in frustration. He was insulting her, she thought. He laughed but continued, "The most infuriating person I've ever met, you're stubborn and independent and frustrating..." Her mouth pressed into a hard line as he kept insulting her. "And I wouldn't have you any other way. You are everything I want and need and I love you more than anything." As the sweet words spilled from his mouth, tears spilled over her cheeks. "I know that nothing I do will ever be deserving of you, but you would make me the happiest man alive if you would do me this honor. So, Elena Gilbert, will you marry me?" Her mouth widened into a grin and she nodded._

_"I already said yes you big dummy," she said as she threw her arms around his neck on hugged him tightly to her. She pulled back and he began to kiss every inch of her face. He kissed her lips hotly and then slid the ring onto her slender finger. She stared at it for a second and then took his face in her hands, "Forever," she said as she kissed him long and sweetly on the lips._

_"Forever," he echoed onto her lips._

* * *

I hope you all liked the proposal scene as much as I love writing it. R&R please and thank you.

Disclaimer: I got nothin' on TVD.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Final chapter! I hope it doesn't feel rushed or anything. I updated quicker than I thought I would, but, hallelujah, writer's block as finally lifted. Picks up right were last chapter ends.**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

As Damon absentmindedly twirled the ring around his wife's finger, his mind drifted to Bonnie's earlier revelation.

"Bonnie and Jeremy, huh?" he mused. "Well, at least it isn't Caroline," he laughed as he thought of Jeremy and Caroline together. He'd dated the blonde and knew full well what she was capable of doing to any sane person. He knew that Jeremy couldn't handle it; hell, he wasn't able to handle it. She'd drive any man crazy.

"You don't have to be a jackass," a small voice said.

"You would take her side," he countered quickly. His eyes popped open and he mouth fell open as he realized where the voice had come from. He turned his eyes to look at his now awake wife.

"Elena?"

* * *

Elena stared back at Damon as a flood of emotions passed over his all too beautiful face. She became more confused as his pretty eyes filled with tears.

"What?" she asked before a cough ripped from her throat. She tried to swallow, but found her mouth to be completely dry. Damon, now out of shock, ran to the bathroom to fill a paper cup with water. Elena drank drank slowly as she settled back into her pillows. She finished and handed the cup to Damon, who threw it in the trash. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. She opened her eyes as Damon's hands captured her face. She jumped in surprise as he lay feather-light kisses on her cheeks and forhead. Finally, he landed on her lips. This kiss wasn't featherlight, more like molten lava. It was long and deep; her mouth was tingling and hot, but she didn't want it to ever end. He pulled away as he tried to steady her breathing. It was the most beautiful kiss; she felt like crying.

"My God," he declared as he looked into her brown eyes. "You're awake." His words were filled with disbelief but his face was full of relief. She began to admire his face, feeling as though she hadn't seen it in so long. His strong jaw and beautiful, soft lips that felt like heaven on her skin. His wonderfully blue eyes that seemed to swallow her and take her deep into his soul.

"I'm in a hospital," she stated as she manuevered her arms to show off the IVs and tubes connected.

"Yeah, do you remember anything?"

"I remember our _amazing_ sex," she blushed as a wide, cocky grin shown on his face. "The traffic light, and... oh, and the those annoyingly bright lights, and that's it."

Panic shot throught her body. "What about Grayson? Where is he?"

"Grayson's perfectly fine," he said as he glided his hand up and down her arm. "He's at home with Stefan."

"Stefan?" She was more than confused now. Damon hated Stefan; _hated _him. Why was he letting him be around Grayson? He sure hadn't been up to it the first time she'd suggested he get to know his uncle.

"Yeah," he said softly, "Stefan and I, we're gonna give this brother thing another go. He's visited every other day and it's been... I don't know, nice I guess to see him. He was the first one besides Jenna to come to the hospital." She like this new development; Damon and Stefan hadn't spoken since Damon had stayed with him for a while during their separation. Damon's eyes drifted towards the floor as he rubbed circles on her arm with his thumb.

"Are you okay, Damon?" she asked.

"I'm fine, Elena. _I _ didn't get hit by a car."

She didn't miss the slight angry tone he used when refering to his own well-being, so she decided on changing the subject she said, "How long have I been here?"

"A week," he deadpanned. She began to think of all the things she'd missed while being comatose for a week; Jenna was no doubt a wreck and Ric was, well, Ric (calm in a crisis), and poor Grayson had to be without his mommy for a week.

Damon began to stand from his chair, but Elena grabbed his arm, pulling him down. "Where're you going?"

"Relax, love," he said as brushed his lips across her forhead. "I've gotta let the nurses know that you are finally awake."

Damon walked to the end of the bed and pressed a red button on the wall. A few minutes later, a nurse and doctor came into her room. They listened to her breathing, heartbeat, and checked to responses on all of her limbs, as well as the response of her eyes to light.

"Everything looks spectacular, Mrs. Salvatore. Do you feel any discomfort?" The doctor probed her stomach and sides with his fingers as he checked for still broken bones. As he neared her rib area, a hiss erupted from Elena's lips and she jerked away from his touch.

"I can see that you still have some bruising on the ribs, but other than that everything is moving along smoothly. You might even get to leave by next week, even." He gathered his clipboard and stethescope, nodded to Damon and Elena before exiting the room.

"Next week," Elena breathed a sigh of relief as Damon returned to his spot next to her. He gently squeezed her shoulder, careful to watch for bruises, and kissed her forhead.

"He said 'by' next week, so it could be sooner," he corrected as he took her hand in his.

"How's my baby?" she asked as she turned dark, brown doe eyes to his ice, blue orbs.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking," he said waggling his eyebrows at her suggestively. Elena adjusted herself in the bed and giggled.

"Not you, goofy. I meant Grayson."

"Well," he began. A deep sorrowful look encased his features and Elena's stomach flip-flopped inside her.

"What? What's wrong?" she prodded as her eyes became wild with terror.

"Brace yourself," he says as his eyes latch onto hers. "Our son, well, he's discovered Dr. Seuss."

Her eyebrows knit together as she smacks his arm. "What the hell, Damon? I thought it was something serious."

"This is serious, Elena. He's driving me crazy with the constant ridiculous rhyming." He raked his hand through his dark hair and shook his head.

"It's just a phase, Damon. Dr. Seuss teaches creativity," she said. "You'll be okay, love, it's only temporary." Her arms now free of IVs and tubes - thanks to the good doctor - she palms his cheek and rubs her thumb along the length. His hand lifts to cap over hers, he encircles his fingers around her small hand and brings her palm to his lips.

"Temporary? We did say forever, right?" he breathes onto her palm before placing light kisses into it.

"We sure did," she replies as she lies back into the bed, loving his gentle kisses.

"I love you, Elena."

"I love you, too, Damon." He kisses her palm once more before letting their entangled fingers rest on the bed. She needs rest and Damon is willing to let her sleep for a few hours; he needed to make a few phone calls.

* * *

After informing Jenna, Ric, Bonnie, Jeremy, Caroline, and every other person Elena had made eye-contact with that she was now awake, he decided on buying a heap of coffee. He'd settled on a Starbucks that wasn't far from the hospital and quickly purchased his coffee and returned to the hospital. When he arrived, Elena wasn't in her room. Panic racked his body as he dropped the coffee to the floor. He ran into the room and searched the bathroom, but found nothing. Whoever had moved her was a dead man walking, he thought as he ran to the front desk.

"Can I help you, sir?" A nice looking receptionist asked.

"My wife, Elena Salvatore, isn't in her room. Has she been moved?"

"According to our records," she said she stared at her computer screen. "No, sir, she hasn't been moved."

"Dammit," he cursed under his breath.

"Oh, sir, isn't that her?" He followed to woman's pointed finger and, sure enough, Elena was being wheeled around the waiting room.

"What the hell, Stef?" He cursed as he strolled over to them, trying to keep his cool.

"I got here and Elena was awake, but you were gone; we took a little trip around the hospital." Stefan's green eyes widened in innocence. Damon stepped forward and pryed his brothers hands from the handles and wheeled Elena back to her room.

"I just wanted to see the nursery, Damon," she said as Damon helped her back into bed. "It isn't Stefan's fault, I asked."

"Well," he said as he tucked the blankets around her, "you could've waited for me to take you."

"You don't like babies," she deadpanned, cocking an eyebrow at him.

He rolled his eyes and wheeled the chair into a corner. "Besides the point." Stefan stood awkwardly in the doorframe as the love of his life and his brother had a small lover's spat. His heart clenched in his chest, but he fought it. She was happy and Damon certainly was. They were good together; everything Damon wasn't, Elena was. They complemented eachother perfectly. It made him happy to see Elena so happy. Knowing that his presence was no longer needed he decided to excuse himself.

"Okay, well I gotta run," he said as he turned in the doorframe. Elena jabbed her elbow at Damon and tipped her head towards Stefan. Damon rolled his eyes and sighed.

"How about you stay for a while," he said. "I'm sure Caroline will be eager to see you." Damon relished in the fact that even though he was softening a bit, his sarcasm was top notch.

"I'll be out here," Stefan said as he left the room. Damon turned his attention back to Elena, who was giving him a glare that made his body shiver.

"What?" he asked as he shifted in his seat.

"You didn't have to mean about it," Elena replied. She watched as the corners of his lips curved into a michevious smile; one that was _so_ Damon, she thought. The smile lifted until the corners of his eyes crinkled and a laugh escape his soft lips.

"You gotta admit, it _was_ funny," he said. Elena glared at him and he lifted his palms in mock-surrender.

"I cannot wait to get home," Elena said as she quickly changes the subject. "I feel like I've been gone for months."

A serious look encroached Damon's features as he swallowed the sudden lump in his throat.

"Elena," he cleared his throat, "I just want you to know that I love you so much. I came so close to losing you again and I couldn't take it. The night you kicked me out, I sat on the porch until well into the night listening to you cry. It broke my heart to know that I had done that to you. All I've ever tried to do is to prove that I am deserving of someone like you, Elena. I know I can't make up for my past actions, and..." He trailed off as his words choked in his throat. Elena was shocked at Damon's sudden vulnerability but didn't interrupt him.

"I know that we've had our differences and that I can be an asshole most of the time, but I will do whatever it takes to keep you and Grayson for as long as you want me." Damon's eyes glistened as lay his chest open in front of her.

Elena became suddenly aware of the tears that were running down her own face. "You're right," she said as she wiped tears away, "you are an asshole most of the time and sometimes we fight, but I love you way too much to let you being you get in the way of what we have. As for what you can do; you just did it, Damon. All I wanted of you was to open up to me and let me in and you did that. And, if you haven't heard already, I want you forever. No take-backs; ever. You never lost me, Damon. You lost yourself and it took you finding you to bring you back to me; finally." Elena winced as she sat up in the bed and wrapped her small hands around Damon's neck and pulled him to her. He didn't fight her; quite frankly after spilling his guts like that, he felt he deserved a kiss or two.

"This, right here, is what I want for the rest of my life," Elena breathed against his tingling lips. She was driving him crazy and he couldn't take it anymore. Without any further invitation, Damon pressed his lips to her and kissed her hungrily. The kiss was long and passionate, neither letting go until oxygen was necessary.

After catching his breath, Damon sighed. "Do I get to move out of the guest room now?" Elena laughed at his joke and latched her lips onto his again; kissing away every worry she'd ever felt about their relationship. This was her forever; Damon and Grayson were her forever and she felt a weightlessness pass over her as a boulder lifted from her shoulders. Damon's lips were soft against hers and she moaned into them, getting completely lost. As her body took over, Damon felt her shift on her bed as she tried to move into his lap. He pulled pack suddenly and rubbed the outside of her thighs.

"Patience, grasshopper. We'll get to the good stuff when we finally get home." Elena's bottom lip popped out into a pout as she let out a dramatic _hmph._

"Eager are we? Well, you just gotta wait. When we get home, I'm gonna rock your world," he said as he grinned suggestively at him. Elena's heart fluttered in her chest; she loved this man in front of her desperately; more than words could convey. He was her everything and drove her crazy. He had a hold on her heart and he knew it; he was her only one; forever.

_'Cause you're all I **want,**_

_You're all I **need,**_

_You're **everything.**_

* * *

**The End. I hope you enjoyed the ride while it lasted, I know I did. If you like my fics then you should check out my new story; Congratulation On The Mess You Made Of Things. Thank you all for everything; I truly appreciate all of the reviews, favorites and alerts. I'm not creative by nature, so the reception I received was quite overwhelming. From the bottom of my Damon-lovin' heart, thank you!**

**Disclaimer: Obviously, by now, you know that I own zip, zilch, nada of the Vampire Diaries.**

**Ending song: Everything by Lifehouse**


End file.
